Crate



Aug. 23, 1927.

c. A. WOOLSEY ET AL cans 1 rw W m ww WW m A a v n53 Z u p. 7L inf Aug. 23, 1927. 9,873

C. A. WOOLSEY ET AL CRATE Filed Nov. 12, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 22 20 6 22 ,2 2 2o /9 9 7 7 O G G i 8 2/ 2/, /0

, mar/e514. 1%0/59 4 fiemykflow/mn Attorney;

Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE. Q

CHARLES A. WOOLSEY AND HENRY V. BOWMANfOF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, AS- SIGNORS TO NORTHWESTERN COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER CO., 0]? ST. PAUL, MINNE- SOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

' CRATE.

Application filed November 12, 1923. Serial No. 674,358.

both ways and subjected tomore or less rough usage and necessarily have to be of strong and durable construct1on. The crates are piled one upon another and it IS custorary to move a stack or tier of the crates from place to place on a platform or in a warehouse by means of a two-wheeled baggage truck, the lower end or projecting nose of the truck being thrust in under the bottom crate preparatory to lifting the stack. It has been found that crates of ordinary construction become damaged in the bottom or crushed by the pressure of the nose of the truck thereon and sometimes this. damage is so severe that the crate is wholly unfitted for further use. Sometimes. damage to the bottles contained in the crate results from the lifting of a stack of them on the 'nose ofthe truck.

One object, therefore, of our present invention is to provide a crate of the character described having a grid or skeleton construction in the bottom of such a nature that it will withstand the pressure of the nose of the truck thereon and allow the stack of crates to be moved from place to place without damage. In crates of this kind having the transverse rods or grid construction in the bottom, it has been customary to perforate the lower walls of the crate and anchor the rods therein; This is objectionable as the perforations tend to weaken the walls and considerable time and labor is required -in securely anchoring the rods in the walls.

A further object of our invention therefore is to provide a means for mounting the grid device in the bottom of the crate which will eliminate the necessity of perforating the walls of the crate to the extent heretofore found necessary and provide a means for securing the grid which will allow its convenient removal in case of breakage or for "any other purpose.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a crate embodying our invention in an invertedposition;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the grid removed from the crate;

Figure 3 is a planbottom view showing the manner of securing the members of the grid in the crate;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing in detail the manner of anchoring the crossbars in the side walls of the crate;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure .6 is a horizontal sectional view of the corner ofthe crate showing the means for securing the end raiEof the grid;

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view showing a modified form of rod. I

In the drawing, 2 and 3 representthe side and end walls of the crate composed preferably of a series of narrow slats placed edge to edge, but these walls may be made each 59 in a single piece if preferred. At the cor ners, the side and end walls are secured together and braced by the, angle corner irons 4 and on the bottom at the corners recesses 5 are formed in the lower edges of the walls 35 and said lower edges are covered andprotected by metallic runners 6 secured to the walls by suitable means and having their ends bent to fit into the recesses 5. Corner irons 7 are provided fitting the walls of the crate in the angles at the corner and seated in the recesses on the reinforcing runners therein. These corner irons have upwardly extending ears 8 and 9 secured to the walls by suitable means such as rivets 10. The interior of the crate is divided, as usual in devices of this kind, into a series of vertical pockets by means of longitudinal and transverse rods 2 and 3% The grid or skeleton construction which I we prefer to place in the bottom of the crate 15 wherein the bent ends of the rods are thereon.

adapted to lie the grooves being of suite cient depth to remit and allow the rails to lit snugly against the end walls of the crate; said rails being pref crably fiat as indicated. in Figure "the walls of the grooves also serve to brace and stiller. the plates and bonding strain The ends of the rails have holes it to receive the inner ends of the corner iron rivets so that the same rivets may be employed for securing the corner irons and the grid rails to the end walls of the There are preferably four of these rivets and if it is desired to remove'the grid at any time the heads of these rivets may be cut off and the end rails readily removed from the crate.

For the purpose of stidening the middle portion of the grid and providing a strong non-yielding surface to receive the nose of the baggage truck or other means employed for moving the crate frem place to place. i. we provide a series of crossbars preferably,

three in number, though a greater or number may be employed as desired. These rods as shown in Fi ure l are preferably made of a folded sheer ofnietai th one terial being bent longitudinally with the edges of the plate overlapping and formed wedge-shaped in cross section providinga hollow truss meinber.,the walls of which will resist the pressure of the nose of the baggage truck thereon. the walls of the bars have holes 18 therein to receive the rods 11. these holes being: prefer bly near the app r of the bars so that there will be no opportunity for the nose of the truck or other-lifting means to contact with and bend the rods; the pressure of the lifting means being entirely sustained by the walls of thecross tron of the plate fori n the sachet.

bars. The lower walls of the crossbars are preferably bent inwardly to form a longitudinal depression 17" to further brace the bars against a bending or crue ing pressure.

[it inch end of the crossbara we provide laterally eatending flanges 19 which following. the edges of the side walls converge from their lower to their upper ends and on the side walls of the crate, we provide hangers 99 having wedge-shaped "therein to receive the ends the barsand" the tlanges l9. prefer toform these hangers of sheet metal. with inwardly {turned lips 21 s aced 9m middle scribed and when the parts of the crate are assembled, the ends of the bars will be thrust into the socket of these hangers and be the ends of the rods tie seated in the hangers, the edges 22 of the' lips will. be bent in over the flanges 19' as "indicated ia i igursa nmrenylaenin the crossbars securely in the hangers and coopcrating with the rivets of corner irons to hold tho-gritd eeeurety in the bottom of the cats against the Weight of its load or con- To remove the grid train the crate, the edges n my be turned back fromthe 'sochcts releasing the bars and then when the corner rivets are removed the, grid can be easily (I hichcd from the crate without in any way niiutilating or disturbing the side walls or corner connections.

As shown in Figure 6 we may join adja cent rods by a continuous .loopdl or as an [i i-gore" Z, each rod may have straight ends li fitting iooseiy'within holes in the supporting plates.

Mill

We have shown a simple inexpensive modified in various ways and still be within the scope of our invention.

. We claim as our invention": 7 l. flhecombination with a crate; of a grid mounted in" the lower walls thereof. and comprising Crossbars having wedge-shaped ends and correspondingly shaped sockets on the walls er" idcrate -to' ireceive said ends, the under surfaces 01% said bars being stiff and unyielding and adapted for engagement of the nose of a lifting truck therewith.

2. The combination with a crate of cross bars tit-ting between the lower walls thereof and composed of sheet metal plates folded to form hollowbracing members provided at their; ends laterally extending flanges, andhangers secured tothe walls of said crate and having sockets therein to re ceive the ends of said bars and said flanges. 5;). i The combination with a crate, of cross-- bars litting between'the lower walls thereof and composed of metallic members provided at their ends with "laterally extending flanges. hangerssecured to the walls of said I crate and having sockets therein to receive the ends of said bars'and said flanges, s id having lips thereonadapted to be folded over the flanges of said bars for loch them in. said hangers.

t. The combination with a crate of a grid comprising rods interposed between the lower walls oraaidcrate andplates having hot-- low. wherein thecnds: at saidro r are seated, oitsa 'lcratoon the inside; and rivets passari -inma es in said end plates for ionizing them in said crate.

1 r combination with, a crate a grid u a v a said plates fitt ng against the walls th ir comprising rods having bent ends, plates walls of the container, said cross members having holes therein and longitudinal .grooves intersecting said holes to receive said bent ends and brace said plates, said plates fitting the surfaces of the inner walls of said crate and rivets for securing said plates to said walls.

6. The combination with a crate having reinforcing means at the corners, and corner irons at the bottom, of a grid fitting between the lower walls of said crate and comprising plates seated against said walls and having holes therein, rivets passing through said corner irons and through said plates for securing them in position, and rods having their ends anchored in said plates and extending across the bottom of the crate.

7. The combination with a crate, of a grid comprising bars interposed between the side walls of the crate and spaced apart, said bars comprising sheet metal plates folded longitudinally to form hollow members triangular substantially in cross section, the wider portions of said bars being at the bottom and having longitudinal depressions therein for stiffening the walls thereof, the ends of said bars having tapered flanges thereon to enter correspondingly shaped socketsin said walls, and means connecting said bars with the end walls of the crate,

' the lower wider portions of said bars being substantially flush with the lower edges of the crate walls and presenting rigid bearing surfaces for contact with a lifting truck.

8. A container comprising side and end walls, angle brackets fitting the corners of the contalner at the bottom, metallic strips and rivets passing therethrough and through said brackets and the adjacent wall for securing them together, a bottom for said container comprising longitudinal -members seated in and supported by said strips, and cross members intersecting said longitudinal members and having their end portions seat ed in the adjacent container walls, and readily separable therefrom by downward pressure when the rivets of said metallic strips are severed.

9. A container having side and end walls and metal strips secured to two of the opposite walls and having hollow ribs extending longitudinally thereof, and a metallic grid comprising rods having their ends fitting within sockets in said hollow ribs at intervals, and cross members engaging said rods and having their ends seated in the opposite resisting the upward thrust of a moving truck thereon.

10. The combination with a suitable container, angle brackets fitting the corners thereof at the bottom, metallic strips secured to said angle brackets and the adjacent wall of the container and having longitudinal ribs formed thereon, and metallic longitudinal and transverse members interposed between said strips and supported thereby and by the container walls.

11. A container having angle irons fitting the corners thereof at the bottom, metallic strips secured to said angle irons and the end walls of the container and having hollow ribs formed thereon, and a metallic grid comprising longitudinal and cross members interposed between said metallic strips, the longitudinal members having their ends seated in the ribs of said strips and the cross members of said grid engaging said longitudinal members and terminally secured to the opposite walls of said container.

12. A container having its walls connected at the corners by angle brackets, a grid frame comprising longitudinally ribbed connector elements terminally secured to said angle brackets and the walls of the conelements, and adapted to resist vertical pressure and a series of rods passing through said cross members and seated at their opposite ends in the ribs of said connector elements. e

13. An all-metal crate bottom comprising opposing related parallel strips having outstanding hollow longitudinal reinforcing ribs, each having rod-receiving openings, a grid element intermediate the rib strips in the plane thereof providing a plurality of transverse members parallel with the strips adapted to be terminally secured to the opposite crate walls and providing lower faces adapted to receive and resist the thrust of a moving truck thereon, and a series of rods passing through said cross members and seated at their opposite ends in the rib openings of said strips.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 8th day of November, 1923.

CHARLES A. WOOLSEY. HENRY v. BOWMAN. 

